Vermont prosecutor's parents busted in Nebraska drug case

For many pot lovers, this Christmas is much more about reefer than wreaths. Gift-giving has long been a part of marijuana culture, and the drug's newly legal status is a source of Yuletide celebration in four states. (Dec. 22)
AP

A top Chittenden County criminal prosecutor is the son of an elderly couple arrested last week on suspicion of transporting 60 pounds of marijuana across the country that they said they planned to give as Christmas presents.

Patrick Jiron, 80, and his wife, Barbara, 70, of Clearlake Oaks, California, were apprehended following a traffic stop Dec. 19 on Interstate 80 in York, Nebraska. The couple had loaded the bed of their pickup truck with bags full of pot, which they told police they intended to distribute as holiday gifts to relatives in Vermont and Boston, the York County Sheriff's Department said.

The couple's son is Justin Jiron, the chief deputy Chittenden County state's attorney.

"Justin is in no way connected to this allegation other than by relation," his boss, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George, wrote in an email Tuesday night to the Burlington Free Press. "Justin is and has been a dedicated public servant for over 15 years and I assure you he is as surprised and upset about these allegations as anyone."

As a deputy state's attorney, Jiron is responsible for handling criminal prosecutions in Vermont's busiest state's attorney's office. He has worked on a number of the state's highest profile cases during his career.

Among them: the prosecution of Brian Rooney, who abducted, raped and murdered 21-year-old University of Vermont senior Michelle Gardner-Quinn in 2006; and the case against Christopher Williams, who went on a shooting spree through Essex, including at an elementary school, that left two dead the same year.

Patrick and Barbara Jiron were pulled over on the rural stretch of highway in eastern Nebraska after sheriff's deputies spotted the pickup truck swerving and failing to signal, the department said in a statement.

Marijuana seized in Nebraska from a pickup truck owned by Patrick Jiron, 80, and his wife, Barbara, 70, is seen in this photo released by the York County Sheriff's Department on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Police say the couple was on their way to Vermont and Boston to give the drugs to friends and family as Christmas gifts.(Photo: COURTESY YORK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT)

Police "detected the odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle," the sheriff's department said. Patrick Jiron, who was driving, agreed to a search of the truck, and deputies discovered the pot under a topper in the back, police said. The marijuana was packaged in more than 25 clear plastic bags and at least one empty bulk-sized container of cheese puffs, according to a photo of the seized evidence.

Police placed the street value of the drugs in excess of $300,000.

Patrick Jiron, 80, of Clearlake Oaks, Calif., is seen in this photo released by the York County (Nebraska) Sheriff's Department on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017.(Photo: COURTESY YORK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT)

The Jirons received citations on suspicion of possessing marijuana with the intent to deliver. They have not commented on the allegations.

Marijuana possession is illegal in Nebraska. Vermont's Legislature plans to consider legalizing recreational marijuana. Voters in Massachusetts approved legalization last year. A 2016 vote in California, where the elder Jirons live in a small lakeside community about three hours north of San Francisco, also legalized marijuana.

Patrick and Barbara Jiron told the authorities they were unaware it was illegal to transport the drugs across Nebraska, police said last week.

This story has been updated to reflect that Patrick Jiron's age is 80. Police initially said he was 83, but court papers that include his date of birth show that figure was incorrect.

Contact Adam Silverman at 660-1854 or asilverman@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wej12.